Returning to Z City, she had considered the possibility of running into him.
But she hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
Maybe when they met, they would exchange polite nods, wish each other well, and then go their separate ways, allowing her to finally bid farewell to the past and start anew.
Or perhaps they would sit down together, reminiscing about their younger days—if they couldn't be lovers, they could at least be friends.
It might even be a situation where they would just pass by like strangers.
But this? What was this?
A wave of bitterness surged within her, and a tear slipped from her eye.
Cheng Yi felt she needed to do something, She didn't want to fall apart like this. How She longed for someone to reach out and pull her from this whirlpool of helplessness.
Her hand reached out instinctively, trembling uncontrollably as she groped forward, trying to grasp something—anything.
What now?
"Yi... I found you... I finally found you..."
That voice, trembling with emotion, pierced straight through to the softest part of her heart. Fang Zhiyuan pulled her tightly into his arms, as if afraid she would vanish the moment he let go. Cheng Yi couldn't breathe. Her mind went blank, her legs gave out, and she collapsed in his embrace.
Sensing her body growing weaker in his arms, Fang Zhiyuan hurried to steady her. But the next moment, a sharp pain exploded across his face, followed by a powerful force that sent him crashing to the ground.
In an instant, Cheng Yi was caught by someone else—someone who had come out of nowhere.
"Yi, what's wrong?"
Cheng Yi clutched Ye Minglang's arm to stay upright, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Fang Zhiyuan, bleeding from the corner of his mouth, tried to lunge forward.
"No..."
With the last of her strength, Cheng Yi collapsed to the ground.
The two men rushed to her side at the same time, supporting her as they helped her into the nearby café. Ye Minglang hurried to get her some water, then grabbed napkins to wipe her sweat. Amid the chaos, Cheng Yi gradually regained a sliver of consciousness, though her face remained pale and drawn.
Her hands trembled as she gripped the glass, gulping down a sip as she tried to steady herself.
"Minglang, could you... go back and get my medicine?"
Ye Minglang shot a furious glare at the other man—the one responsible for all this. Why should he be the one to leave? He wasn't going to back down that easily. Ignoring her request, he kept fanning her gently.
"Let me take you."
"Minglang, I... I just want to sit here for a bit. Please."
Ye Minglang rarely said no to Cheng Yi, especially when she looked at him with such pleading eyes. Weighing his options, he he realized staying wouldn't help much anyway. Getting her medicine was the priority.
Fine, nothing should go wrong.He gave her shoulder a reassuring pat and, before leaving, shot another warning glance at the other man, then dashed off to the nearby hotel.
Before leaving, he reminded her about the laptop on the table.
"Don't touch my laptop. It's downloading something."
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The silence between them was not for lack of words, but because neither knew where to begin.
From the moment he saw Cheng Yi, Fang Zhiyuan hadn't taken his eyes off her. He was desperate to read the answers in her face—where she had been all these years, why she had vanished without a trace.
Cheng Yi kept her gaze lowered, but inwardly, she had made up her mind.
She had known that coming back meant there was a chance they would meet again. And now that they had met, she couldn't avoid it any longer. After all, what had years of running away changed?
She couldn't pretend this man didn't exist forever. It was time to face him.
She lifted her glass and downed the water in one gulp.
Fang Zhiyuan forced himself to stay calm. The day had already started off badly enough; he didn't want things to get worse. He knew staring at her wouldn't give him the answers he needed, the only way forward was to ask.He had imagined countless times what he would ask her first if they ever met again, but he never thought it would be this:
"Who is he?"
Their connection was clearly deep; that man's concern for her rivaled his own. Fang Zhiyuan couldn't help clenching his fists, bracing himself for the worst. He had to understand their relationship before taking any action.
Cheng Yi drew a deep breath, trying to gather her scattered thoughts. A few years couldn't change a man's nature—and this one had never let go of anything he set his mind on. He wouldn't let her off with vague answers. That much, she knew all too well.
"We've... worked together for many years."
Thankfully, it wasn't the worst-case scenario, but he couldn't let his guard down. His instincts as a man wouldn't allow it.
"Yi, where have you been all these years?"
"I came back from the U.S. and started looking for you right away. But it was like you'd disappeared. Do you know how worried I was?"
"All these years, you couldn't send a single email, leave a message?"
"Do you know how many years I searched for you? There were times I thought you might be..."
She froze, saying nothing, her eyes locked on the empty glass.
Fang Zhiyuan's eyes reddened, his voice trembling. The flood of questions made him more agitated, and his hands balled into fists, pain etched across his handsome face. All the fear, helplessness, and sorrow from those years came flooding out.
Why didn't you wait for me here? That was the question he wanted to ask most, but he couldn't bring himself to say it, so he asked something else instead.
"Where did you go all these years?"
This was the biggest mystery weighing on his heart, like a stone he couldn't dislodge. He yearned for answers, desperate to know what she had gone through.
But was this an interrogation? Or an accusation?
Cheng Yi clutched the glass, her fingers trembling faintly. Her throat burned with dryness, but the cup was already empty. Her mind was a knot of confusion, and no words would come.
"Water... I need some water."
Fang Zhiyuan immediately stood, fetched her another glass, and handed it over. She drank deeply, the lemon's tartness jolting her back to clarity.
She didn't know where to begin. Seeing her so lost, Fang Zhiyuan realized he had pushed too hard. He gently patted her back in a clumsy attempt to comfort her.
Another long silence passed.
Cheng Yi knew he wouldn't let her stay silent forever. He was waiting, holding back his emotions, but waiting.
Some questions had to be answered; some people had to be faced.
"I was away... just got back recently."
It was the best outcome he could have hoped for. His tense nerves finally relaxed a little, and his tone softened considerably.
"You're finally back. It's good that you're back."
You're finally back... you're finally back... Cheng Yi repeated the words silently, again and again.
"Yes, I'm back."
Fang Zhiyuan had always been practical. The past was gone—what mattered was now.
"May I use your phone?"
She had expected more pointed questions, but Fang Zhiyuan's sudden change of topic left her momentarily confused. In truth, he didn't even need to ask. Before he finished speaking, he was already reaching out for her phone. Cheng Yi had no choice but to hand it to him after unlocking it. He tapped quickly, and a ringtone sounded from his pocket.
He always knew exactly what to do next, with a confidence and decisiveness that was hard to ignore.
"This is my number. Let's stay in touch."
He handed her phone back, refilled her glass, and finally managed a small smile.
"Yi, Where are you working now?"
"I just got back. I'm freelancing at a translation company."
"Where are you living?"
Not with that man, is she?
Cheng Yi noticed his composure growing more serious, and the atmosphere felt increasingly tense. She didn't want him to know that she had rented a place near his old home.
"I just got back, staying at a hotel."
"Which one?"
"Zhiyuan..."
The barrage of probing questions was becoming too much for Cheng Yi to handle. It had been years since she had called him by his name, and he was still savoring the sound.
All she wanted was to leave, to leave right away.
"I've caught a bit of a cold. I should go."
He realized he had been too pushy. The flood of questions had left her breathless, and he had overlooked the fact that she wasn't feeling well. Her face was pale, and sweat beaded on her forehead.
"Let me take you."
"No need."
"The sun's too harsh. I'll drive you."
"The hotel's just across the street. Really, it's fine."
"I'll walk you over."
Fang Zhiyuan stood up to help Cheng Yi, but she remained silent, sitting there with no intention of moving. Slowly, her gaze grew resolute, and she made up her mind.
"Zhiyuan, we broke up... didn't we?"
With that, she gathered Minglang's laptop and documents, walked past the stunned man, and headed toward the door.
A few steps later, she stopped and, without turning back, said softly—
"It was nice to see you... again."